Review comments

If there's a national award for disability-friendly public school, Monument should get it. This school doesn't just fulfill special education laws. It is a model for how things should be done everywhere.

Our experience has been absolutely phenomenal. I have been amazed at the way the staff goes above and beyond to meet the diverse needs of students, how professional and caring and creative they are. The principal is warm and encouraging and involved in her students' learning. The teachers have been great so far, as well as all the support staff. It's a wonderful, supportive, small community. When I talk to people nationally about the kind of experience we have here, and when I give specifics about the thoroughness of the school, they are amazed. This is an exemplary public school.

My child has been a student at Monument Elementary since kindergarten and the experience has been absolutely awful. The teachers are the only good thing about this school. Firstly, the principal as stated by another reviewer, is a serious problem. My child was coming home with bruises and cuts and I was told she was the issue and not the bully in question. The child bullying her has "problems" they said and cannot control himself. The afternoon pick up is an accident or death of a child waiting to happen, because it is extremely disorganized and overcrowded. My child is not allowed to ride the bus because we live too close to the school. The icing on the cake is the fact the school has a major lice infestation and it is not being corrected. Children are being allowed to stay in school due to a recent policy change. Parents are not treating the children for lice and it keeps being spread around. My child has had lice twice since February and it is only the beginning of April. I was told by another parent that her child has had lice five times this school year. The principal calls the children "mean" and "rude" to their face and my child has come home upset by this principal on more than one occasion. I personally think the biggest problem is the principal and if she were replaced the school would probably improve greatly. Before Donna Cauley was appointed principal, this was the best school in the district .Now I am looking into transferring my child to a private school, because this is now the worst school.

This is our child's last year at Monument, and it has been an uneven experience. There are still a few very good teachers at the school, however over the past few years many of the staff have left the school. We live in a small community, and those teachers and staff who left are more than happy to share that they left because of the principal. We have found her to be condescending, rude, and inflexible. Her awkward leadership style at school plays and other functions is also troubling, as many parents can be seen rolling their eyes and crossing their arms while she speaks. In a very few years since her arrival, the school's test scores have plummeted. I can't say enough about the decline of the school due to it's poor leadership over the past few years.

My kids are so happy at this school. One of my children has be able to attend K-5 and each year we have been so satisfied with the teachers, mix of kids, and the curriculum. I think the experience is even better as my other children go through.

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